New Democratic Party response to Question 7

Question: How will your party’s agenda support community policing and crime prevention in Calgary?

Answer:
The NDP will work with the provinces, territories, municipalities and First Nations communities to provide stable, multi-year funding to reach a goal of at least 2,500 new police officers on the streets, and keep them there permanently. We will re-launch the Police Officer Recruitment Fund with an investment of $250 million over the next four years, followed by $100 million in annual ongoing funding.

Question: What is your party’s position on medical marijuana? Should your party form government what direction will you give municipalities on the contentious issues of medical marijuana dispensaries?

Answer:
The NDP has consistently supported Canadians’ access to medical marijuana. Unfortunately, the Conservatives have chosen to play political games with access to medical marijuana, imposing rules that have restricted access, limited options and driven up costs. New Democrats have repeatedly called for the Conservatives to improve regulations regarding access to marijuana. The Supreme Court was clear that limiting medical marijuana to smoking isn’t in the best interests of the health and safety of patients.

The partisan games played by the Conservatives have also prevented important research from taking place regarding dosing, effectiveness, and the possible side effects of medicinal marijuana. It’s no wonder the Canadian Medical Association has distanced itself from the Conservative’s approach to medical marijuana, because it’s not based on evidence or research. But this makes it more difficult for patients to get a prescription, since doctors have no clear guidelines for dosing or contraindications.

For these reasons, a New Democratic government would revise the regulation of medical marijuana, in consultation with patients, advocates and the medical community, to ensure timely and affordable access to medical marijuana. We would also facilitate research into the clinical effectiveness of medical marijuana.

Question: Working within the existing CPS Crime Prevention and Reduction Continuum and Canada’s National Counter-Terrorism Strategy, CPS has developed the ReDirect Strategy to prevent youth radicalization by engaging youth-at-risk in early intervention. What measures will your party take to prevent youth radicalization?

Answer:
An NDP government will prioritize de-radicalization to protect Canada’s youth from violent extremists. Communities across Canada have called for help from the federal government to combat extremism. We will work with our communities rather than single them out.